Fantasy Football: Week 6 Injury Recap
Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB
Fractured Clavicle: out at least 8 weeks
Arguably the best QB in football will be out for quite awhile after fracturing the clavicle, or collarbone, in his throwing shoulder. He injured the right shoulder early on Sunday while being tackled and landed on the top of his shoulder, which is the classic mechanism of injury for clavicle fractures and AC joint sprains. This is the second fractured collarbone during Rodgers’ career, but his first injury, which came in 2013, was to his left shoulder. This injury was treated nonoperatively, and he missed 7 games that season. This time around, Rodgers will require surgery to stabilize the fracture. The decision regarding whether or not to undergo surgery for a fractured collarbone all depends on the location of the break and the degree to which the bones are displaced. If displaced, surgery is required to restore a normal alignment of the bone to allow for proper healing. Expect Rodgers to be out about 2 months, which essentially makes him irrelevant for the rest of the 2017 fantasy season. If the Packers remain in the playoff hunt, they may bring him back for the last game or two of the season, but if the wheels fall off and the Pack are on the outside looking in, expect Rodgers to finish the year on IR.
Other players impacted: Brett Hundley, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Martellus Bennett, Ty Montgomery, Aaron Jones
Jameis Winston, QB, TB
AC Joint Sprain: day to day
Winston went down with the same mechanism of injury as Rodgers but was fortunate enough to avoid any structural damage, as his x-rays and MRI came back clean. The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is the articulation between your collarbone and a prominent point off of your shoulder blade. Therefore, whenever it is sprained, it makes elevating your arm difficult and painful. His diagnosis of day to day indicates that this is probably a Type I sprain, which usually carries a recovery time of about 1-2 weeks. Expect Winston to be limited in practice all week, but he has a good chance to play in Week 7. If, for some reason, he isn’t ready to go, he should be back for Week 8 at the latest.
Other players impacted: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Cameron Brate
Golden Tate, WR, DET
AC Joint Sprain: week to week
Golden Tate is dealing with the same injury that Jameis Winston is currently dealing with, but his injury appears to be more severe, as reports indicate that he will likely miss multiple weeks. This prognosis indicates that Tate is likely dealing with either a Type II or III sprain. Both of these injuries involve damage to certain ligaments, but are both treated nonoperatively. As for the outlook for the rest of Tate’s season, he will be much better suited with a type II injury, as these injuries recover much more quickly than Type III injuries. For comparison, Type II sprains recover in about 2-4 weeks while Type III sprain require 6-8 weeks. Specifics regarding Tate’s timeline have yet to be released, so stay tuned. The Lions’ Week 7 bye comes at just the right time.
Other players impacted: Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, TJ Jones, Matthew Stafford
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN
Sprained Ankle: out multiple weeks
Sanders rolled his right ankle during Sunday Night Football while running a crossing route in the middle of the field. He was carted off the field and was seen on crutches following the game. Whenever the ankle rolls inward, the ligaments on the outside of the ankle get stretched out, or in severe cases, torn. X-rays on the foot and ankle were negative, but it’s still possible there is structural damage to Sanders’ ankle ligaments. An MRI will give greater clarity regarding any damage sustained in the injury, and once the results are revealed, a more specific timeline will be available. Either way, expect Sanders out for multiple weeks.
Other players impacted: Demaryius Thomas, Bennie Fowler, Trevor Siemian, AJ Derby
Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN
Sprained Ankle: week to week
Emmanuel Sanders’ sidekick, Demaryius Thomas also got banged up in their Sunday night loss to the Giants in Week 6. He left briefly but returned to game action and was able to finish the game, though he was clearly limited as he was seen limping after every play. He also appeared to lack explosiveness and quickness after the injury as he was in obvious pain. X-rays and the MRI on Thomas’ lower leg and ankle were negative, so he appears to have escaped without structural damage. With Sanders already ruled out for Week 7, Thomas would see a big bump in targets. Expect Thomas to be limited in practice all week with a final decision regarding his availability for Week 7 on either Friday or Sunday morning.
Other players affected: Trevor Siemian, Bennie Fowler, AJ Derby, Jordan Taylor
Trevor Siemian, QB, DEN
Shoulder Sprain: day to day
It was an all around brutal night for the Broncos, who not only saw their wide outs go down with injuries, but also saw their QB exit for a brief period of time with a left shoulder injury. Siemian injured the shoulder while attempting to make a tackle during the pick 6 he threw late in the first half on Sunday night. He missed one series but ended up returning after halftime and is expected to be ready to play in Week 7. The Broncos will likely limit his practice reps early in the week, so don’t be surprised to see Siemian’s name on the injury report.
Other players impacted: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, AJ Derby, Brock Osweiler
Leonard Fournette, RB, JAX
Sprained ankle: day to day
Fournette went down late on Sunday with a weird injury to his right leg. He was attempting to plant and cut on his right leg, but he went down in a non-contact fashion as his ankle rolled inward while his right knee appeared to hyperextend. After the injury, the Jaguars said that Fournette could have come back into the game had they needed him, indicating the injury is likely not serious. Reports have already surfaced that he should be ready to go for Week 7, but watch the injury reports this week to be sure.
Other players impacted: Chris Ivory, TJ Yeldon
Charcandrick West, RB, KC
Concussion: week to week
West isn’t really fantasy relevant, but he’s been getting some production at the goal line and taking away a few touches here and there from KC’s starter and workhorse in Kareem Hunt. The reason for including West in this column is mostly for Kareem Hunt owners. With the Chiefs re-signing CJ Spiller, West will most certainly be ruled out for Week 7 on a short week as KC plays Oakland on Thursday night. Assuming West sits, Kareem Hunt should see even more work in the red zone.
Other players impacted: Kareem Hunt